Google DeepMind has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can predict the weather more accurately than the best system currently in use. The model, called GenCast, generates forecasts up to 15 days in advance and does so in minutes, rather than the hours needed by today’s forecasting programs. GenCast has been trained on historical…
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the brain’s response to stress, which can lead to depression. By studying mice, scientists found a distinct brain signature that indicates joylessness triggered by stress. They also identified a brain pattern that confers resilience to stress and another that makes stressed animals less likely to feel pleasure….
A groundbreaking discovery in Kenya has shed new light on the lives of our ancient ancestors. The fossilized footprints of two ancient species, Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, have been found at the Koobi Fora site, dating back 1.5 million years. This remarkable find provides the first direct evidence of different archaic human species coexisting…
Archaeologists have unearthed clay cylinders in Syria, dated to 4,400 years ago, inscribed with the earliest known alphabetic writing system. The discovery, made in the Umm el-Marra tomb, has sparked excitement among scholars, who believe it may rekindle the idea of the location of the earliest alphabet. The symbols, which correspond to sounds, are similar…
The COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, have reached a last-minute deal on climate finance, with rich countries pledging to increase their contributions to at least $300 billion annually by 2035. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have expressed disappointment and frustration with the agreement, citing the lack of clarity on how much of the…
A breakthrough in psychiatric medicine has been announced with the approval of KarXT, a schizophrenia drug that targets muscarinic receptors. This innovative approach has sparked excitement among researchers, but the road to success is long and challenging. Several similar drugs are in development, but the success of these medicines is not guaranteed. The recent failure…
Researchers are flocking to the social-media platform Bluesky, hoping to recreate the good old days of Twitter. The platform has grown from close to 14 million users to nearly 21 million in just two weeks since the US presidential election. Bluesky offers users control over the content they see and the people they engage with,…
A recent survey of academics worldwide has revealed a significant gap in computing power between researchers in universities and those in large technology companies. This disparity hinders the development of large language models and other AI research, with many academics lacking access to powerful graphics processing units (GPUs). The study suggests that academics could make…
Google Scholar, the largest and most comprehensive scholarly search engine, is facing competition from AI-powered search tools that offer improved search experiences and data download capabilities. Researchers are starting to use these new tools, which include ChatGPT, OpenAlex, and Undermind, to search, review, and summarize literature. Despite its size and deep entrenchment in the scientific…
Ranga Dias, a prominent superconductivity researcher, has been fired from the University of Rochester after an investigation revealed extensive misconduct, including data fabrication. Dias’s research had claimed breakthroughs in high-pressure superconductors, but his findings were later retracted due to concerns about their validity. The scandal has cast a shadow over the field of high-pressure superconductivity…
